Jan 25 1965
From The Space Library
President Johnson sent FY 1966 Budget Request to Congress, recommending a total space budget of $7.114 billion, Of this sum, NASA would receive $5.26 billion, DOD $1.6 billion, AEC $236 million, Weather Bureau $33 million, and National Science Foundation $3 million. The NASA request provided for initiation of a major new project-Project Voyager, budgeted at $43 million-and intensive study of Apollo-X, with funding of $50 million. Hardware development funds were requested for the Advanced Orbiting Solar Observatory ($25.1 million), and the Radio Astronomy Explorer Satellite. Advanced research was reduced by cancellation of development of the 260-in.-dia. solid-fuel rocket motor, the M-1 liquid-hydrogen engine (1.2-million. lb.-thrust) , and Snap-8 nuclear electric power unit. NASA Associate Administrator Dr. Robert C. Seamans, Jr., labeled the budget an austere one, but said the chances of landing a man on the moon by 1970 were still good. In discussing the new programs, Dr. Seamans said the requested $43 million for Voyager would be spent on project definition of the spacecraft bus and landing capsule to explore Mars in the next decade. This funding would also enable NASA to make a Martian fly-by in 1969 to test the spacecraft and launch vehicle prior to the 1971 and 1973 missions. Major portions of the DOD space budget were alloted for the following: (1) pre-program definition phase of the Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) ; (2) accelerated research on reentry and recovery of spacecraft; (3) continued development of the Titan III space booster; (4) development of the Defense Communications Satellite System. Two thirds of AEC'S budget request was earmarked for development of nuclear rocket propulsion and nuclear power sources for space applications. The nuclear propulsion program, Project Rover, was alloted $84.1 million ; the nuclear power source program, Snap, $70.5 million; and advanced projects applicable to space, $12 million. The Pluto reactor program was not included in the budget request. The Weather Bureau would start its investment in an advanced weather satellite system in FY 66 with a $500,000 request for sensors and subsystem studies in conjunction with NASA studies. Funds for three Tiros Operational System (TOS) satellites and four Delta launch vehicles to be delivered in two years, $21.6 million, were included in the budget request. Most of the rest was requested for the National Weather Satellite Center (NWSC) and would be spent to convert the present Tiros command and data acquisition facilities to full-time, operational centers run solely by the Weather Bureau. President Johnson asked Congress for $650 million as a White House contingency fund to meet the possible need to accelerate supersonic transport development. (Text, M&R, 2/1/65, 10-17; Text, NYT, 1/26/65, 26-28; Av. Wk., 2/1/65, 16-17; NASA Budget Briefing FY 1966)
President's message sending budget for Fiscal Year 1966 included the following remarks: "Space research and technology: This Nation has embarked on a bold program of space exploration and research which holds promise of rich rewards in many fields of American life. Our boldness is clearly indicated by the broad scope of our program and by our intent to send men to the moon within this decade. "The costs are high-as we knew they would be when we launched this effort. We have seen a rise in annual expenditures for the space program from less than one-half billion dollars in 1960 to over $4 billion in 1964. "Expenditures are continuing to increase. However, we have built up momentum and are concentrating on our highest priority goals. Therefore, we will no longer need to increase space out-lays by huge sums each year in order to meet our present objectives. "This budget proposes that expenditures increase by $22 million in 1966 over 1965. This is the smallest annual increase since 1959. The new obligational authority requested is about the same as enacted for 1965." (NASA LAR IV/16)
NASA Administrator James E. Webb and DOD Secretary Robert S. McNamara announced NASA-DOD agreement on the Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL), released in conjunction with FY 1966 budget: "... Planning for the Defense Manned Orbiting Laboratory program will also consider, in cooperation with NASA, broader objectives of scientific and general technological significance. "To determine the essential characteristics of the vehicle that will be required, the DOD will continue intensive studies and design of experiments and systems aimed at the primary military objectives. "Cooperative studies, by NASA and Defense, will identify and define scientific and general technological experiments which might be carried out, with NASA participation, in conjunction with the military program. "DOD, with assistance from NASA, will compare configurations of Apollo which may be suitable for military experiments with the Gemini B-MOL configuration to determine the complete system that can meet the primary military objectives in a more efficient, less costly, or more timely fashion. "On the basis of these studies, a decision will be made whether to proceed with full-scale development by Defense of a Manned Orbiting Laboratory system and what the specific developments and vehicle configurations are to be. The Defense budget includes $150 million in FY 1966 for the program. . . . "Depending upon the Manned Orbiting Laboratory decision, upon the progress in the Gemini and Apollo programs, and upon the results of NASA studies, a decision will be made whether to proceed with modifications to the Apollo system and the nature and timing of necessary specific developments. The NASA 1966 budget includes about $50 million for proceeding with design and pacing developments. . . ." (NASA Budget Briefing FY 1966)
NASA Associate Administrator Dr. Robert C. Seamans said during FY 1966 budget briefing: ". . . it is conceivable . . . that the lunar landing would occur in early 1970 . . . we feel actually greatly encouraged at the progress that has been made freezing the design, and we feel very reassured at the test results we are achieving on our propulsion systems and with our stages. So that we really feel that there is more chance that we can get off the flight on an earlier mission than I would have said a year ago." Dr. Seamans said Apollo gave the nation a capability for a wide variety of scientific and technological flights in earth orbit, in orbit around the moon, and also for an extended lunar stay time. He commented that the objectives of the current extended Apollo (Apollo-X) design and feasibility studies were to extend the time of the lunar mission out to the order of two weeks. He also said that Apollo-X circumlunar flights, in polar orbit about the moon and taking photographs of the entire lunar surface, on missions that could involve staytimes on the moon of up to one or two weeks, all would have great possibility and would offer great interest scientifically. In commenting on an earlier agreement (1963) with the Pentagon for developing of a Manned Orbiting Laboratory, Dr. Seamans said: "At the time of that agreement, we were really thinking of something that we now realize is further out in time, namely, a more permanent space station that could stay in orbit for a year's time and could be resupplied, and would permit the crew to be ferried into orbit and bring them back. The study really related to that kind of possibility which we now realize is much further out in time . . . we may end up with what is called the MOL, and we may also find that there are important uses for the Apollo system beyond the present manned lunar landing program." He said NASA studies of improving both the Saturn IB and the Saturn V launch vehicles indicated that "these two launch vehicles can take care of our needs for an extended period of time." (NASA Budget Briefing FY 1966)
NASA announced two Radio Astronomy Explorer satellites (RAE-A and RAE-B) would be designed to investigate low-frequency (long wavelength) emissions from our galaxy, its planets, and the stars. These emissions are mostly intercepted by the ionosphere so that little can be learned about them from ground-based receivers. This would be the first attempt to map the galaxy for low-frequency emissions. The 280-lb. spacecraft would be launched by Thrust-Augmented Delta into circular orbits at altitudes of about 3,700 mi, and would measure the intensity of the signals, their frequency, times of emission and, within limitations, define the regions of space in which they originated. Proposed designs called for the development of two 750-ft., V-shaped antennas that would be mounted opposite each other, forming a giant X. They would be anchored to the basic spacecraft, a cylinder of about 40-by-40 in., capped by two truncated cones. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center would design, integrate, and test the two spacecraft. First launch was not expected before 1967. (NASA Release 65-20)
AEC announced that the Snap-10A nuclear generator designed for spacecraft had produced electricity for the first time in a ground test at Canoga Park, Calif., by its builder, Atomics International. The system would ultimately provide power for spaceship propulsion systems such as the ion engine. (AEC Release H-18; Wash. Post, 1/26/65)
Univ. of Miami, Coral Gables, Fla., bestowed an honorary dectorate upon NASA Administrator James E. Webb. Mr. Webb said in a speech there: . space science and technology are not remote and esoteric pursuits but rather are deeply woven into the fabric of our society. The space scientist does not practice a new art. He is an astronomer, a physicist, a chemist, a geologist, rooted in our university system of vigorous effort to expand our knowledge of the universe in which we live. The space technologist is an engineer of materials, structures, fuels, power sources, electronics, rooted in our industrial and government laboratory systems. Both, however, are directing their interests and talents to the newest and most exciting frontiers-where the most rapid progress is made and the breakthroughs scored. The knowledge they gain feeds back into our scientific and technical communities and into our industrial laboratories. . . . Thus, the talents, the skills, and the funds for space exploration are all drawn broadly from our society and continue to feed back into it, in the forefront of scientific and technical progress-the unique hallmark of the American way." (Text)
ComSatCorp filed with the FCC its intent to contract for 24 satellites that could be used by ComSatCorp to provide a global communications service for DOD. The satellites would be made available for three launchings which DOD had slated for the early part of 1966 on either a Titan IIIC or Atlas-Agena D launch vehicle. DOD would pay only for service rendered following successful launch, with ComSatCorp assuming the risk if the satellites did not work satisfactorily in orbit. This proposal was separate from the program managed by ComSatCorp to develop an international commercial communications satellite system. (ComSatCorp Release)
USAF was reported to be considering the use of surplus Wing 1 Minuteman ICBMs as Guidance Error Analysis Vehicles (Geav). According to Air Force Central Inertial Guidance Test Facility (CIGTF) surplus Minuteman boosters could be the cheapest means to evaluate future inertial guidance systems in a true missile environment. ETR was selected for Geav because no other range could measure missile velocity in three axes to the required accuracy. The Minuteman guidance system itself would be reprogramed and located in a recoverable payload for reasons of economy. (M&R, 1/25/65, 34)
Dr. A. J. Drummond of Eppley Laboratory, Newport, R.I., told Missiles and Rockets that a number of Russian cosmonauts were said to have died in booster failures at launch. Dr. Drummond got his information through unofficial sources while attending a technical meeting in Leningrad last year, He also said there were no large solar-simulation testing facilities in the Soviet Union and that Soviet spacecraft used crude bulk insulation for thermal control instead of emission-absorption coatings. (M&R, 1/25/65, 7)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
